Broke the bank on this one...

I finally did it. I have been wanting to do it for quite some time. But yesterday on a study break I finally snapped did it. You might be asking yourself what exactly I did. Look at the address bar!

That's right. I finally got around to buying our old domain name again. Not that this changes anything, it isn't going to motivate me to post more often. It only cost me a solid $1.12. The best $1.12 ever spent. I just thought it'd be cool to have to old blog address again. For the sake of the good ol' days when the only care we had was what video to make or what stupid thing to post about. I miss it a little. Having no responsibility, no exams, it was basically a year long party. Which had it's moments.

But if you asked me if I would go back to relive my teen years. I don't think I would. As much as I enjoy being super immature, and goofing off is my specialty don't get me wrong. But as much as I whine about it, I think I kinda like being this old. As long as it stops before I get to 30. I kinda like having some responsibility, not too much, but some. I like having money in my bank account. I like having to plan to go on road trips, unlike my teen years when Ben and I would just up and leave on a whim. I dislike exams and want the whole school thing to be over. 

But as much as I dislike school, I am excited to start off my career. I want to work 9-5 Monday-Friday. Maybe that is crazy. I'm exciting about having a routine.

Three exams, one half semester, and a placement to go.

Nolan Out!

Back Again! But from the South!

Well hello there! Its been several years since I have posted here, but being as I am now far away from all of you, I feel as though writing on this blog might prove useful or at least enjoyable for me. I don't really have much time to write anything out right now as we are about to go to dinner with a nice local family that I have never met before...
Either way, it should be enjoyable and I look forward to telling you all about my fantastic adventures living in the land of Merica (I will be referring to America as "Merica" on a regular basis). This will include the already fantastic experiences I have had at Logan Collage of Chiropractic.

Sleep is for the Eel fishermen

So I finally got some sleep during the last two nights. This is kind of a big deal since I have been sleeping in 3 hours naps twice a day for the last two weeks. This is extremely out of the ordinary for me. When I am at home I can almost literally sleep for 12 hours wake up eat and go back to bed for another 8 hours. It's one of  my many talents. So the fact that I got two nights in a row of normal human sleep is good news.

In other news it looks like things are starting to pick up. I'm not really allowed to go into any detail about what that means. If you read my last post you'd remember that I told you I have been sworn into secrecy. But what I will tell you is that everything is getting a bit better. Yay!

Smaller then you thought?

Both of the pictures in this post are from Google, since I am not allowed to take my own, by searching the term "glass eels." There are tons more if you wanna check them out.

Yesterday I got a "day off". This means I worked a normal work day and got to go into town and eat food and watch a movie, Eel fishing is one of the few jobs where you work on your days off. Boston Pizza has never tasted so good and the movie theater was truly a sight for sore eyes. As of tonight we will be starting our normal fishing grind once again.

This is how we separate the eels from the stuff we don't want.

Throughout working this job I have this one verse that keeps popping into my head and it helps keep me going sometimes. "2 Corinthians 4:16-18 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self[a] is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

There is so much more I could tell you about. But alas, I am not allowed. Hope everyone back home is doing well. Miss you all.

Nolan Out!

Eels

As many of you know I'm back in New Brunswick. And its been a week now. Although it kind of feels like its been a month. I've been trying to get back into the swing of things here, which actually never really happens I've learned, but I'm trying none the less.

So far this year has been an okay year here and I have enjoyed my time so far. I mean, as much as one can enjoy waking up at random hours of the night to fish eels out of the water. I would tell you about other things, but alas, I can't. Due to the fact that I have been swore to secrecy(I feel like a spy) and have to keep most things eel related on the down low.

There have been a few changes this year when it come to my job at Brunswick Aquaculture LTD.(Fixed it.) They have finished building the gym. Complete with free weights and a sweet cable machine. Though I think the best part of the new gym is the 80 inch TV and Xbox they got set up in there. Lets just say that most of what goes on in there isn't working out. Though I have had some good workouts.

They built a new attachment for rooming people. It has been inhabited by the guys from Ontario and is rightly called "#OntarioHouse". We even have an Ontario flag hanging in the window. Other then this just being a new place for us to sleep it has some other perks too. Less people staying here which means less noise which means more sleep which means happier Nolan. We have our own TV, Xbox, mini-fridge, and even a toaster over for cooking our snacks, which lately have consisted of pizza pockets, burritos, and hot dogs. hashtag healthy living.

After reading this you probably think that I don't even work while I'm here. Don't worry I do, I'm just really good at hyping up how much fun I have while being here. It's basically hanging out with the guys for 2 months. So there are some good times to be had.

Anyways if you want to know anything else just text me and ask. No for real! If you read this you should text me. Because if I'm not sleeping it can get kinda boring around here. So text me.

Nolan Out!

S*ear W*rds

I myself don't swear because I have been raised not to, but does that really make it wrong? Is swearing really a sin? How can a word in and of itself be wrong. Isn't it the motives behind the words what really matter? You can use "nice" words and say something way worse then a swear, right?

After looking through the Bible I have not found a "List of words not to say because they are Bad." The only things that could be put on the "bad" word list is what we find written in Exodus 20:7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain." So obviously anything that profanes or is irreverent toward God's name can go on the list.

At this point we still can't compile a list of "bad" words that Christians shouldn't say, other then improper use of God's name. I think since the Bible is going to last forever it wouldn't give us a list. Language changes over time. I think they, sadly, added selfie to the dictionary. The point is that every culture and time period have had there very own kind of "bad" words, and words that once had a legitimate meaning are now what the world calls "bad" words.(Which is a point in itself, if the world says something is bad then shouldn't we as Christians?)

Here are some verses I have found that might help us figure out if we should be worried about swearing:

1. James 3:10 "From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so"  
2.  Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."  
3. Proverbs 4:24 "Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you" 

 Now obviously these verses don't tell us not to use the F-Bomb. But what I can certainly say is that the content of our speech is very important. When you use a swear it isn't in a happy way, the motives behind the words probably aren't very Christ like. And it certainly isn't going to "give grace to those who hear."

 Which leads into my next point. We are told to be apart from the world, yes? And we should be putting other first, correct? Here is something Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up." When it comes to your speech does swearing really build others up?

Over in  Luke 6:45 it says "The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." Do you think that swearing is a "good treasure"?


Matthew 5:16 "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" Is swearing going to allow people to see the Glory of  God?

Bringing glory to God should be one of our top priorities 1 Corinthians 10:31-33 "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved." Just remember that as a Christian one of our primary goals is to bring others to Jesus. And in view of our topic, is Swearing really going to help accomplish that goal? As a Christian we are supposed to be aiming to become more like Jesus, Is swearing really going to get us there? As cliche as it seems "What Would Jesus Do"?


Nolan Out!

Watch This.

Nolan out!

Don't go swimming with and anvil

1 Corinthians 15: 30-33 "Why are we in danger every hour? I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame."

This phrase "What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”" 

I did some research, and have come up with one way to interpret this verse. First what I think Paul is saying is that if what Jesus told him is actually a lie, then there is no point in trying to live like a Christian but instead to live it up, have a good time, and do things in life that make you happy. Basically He is telling the Church in Corinth if Jesus is a lie, YOLO!

This is a completely off topic point. But there is lots of speculation that Paul was a Gladiator. Yes a Gladiator. The "beasts at Ephesus", from what I have read, are lions in a colosseum. So basically IF Paul actually did get thrown into this situation, and remember this is something that they actually did to Christians in this time period, the only way Paul is able to talk about it is that he beat the beasts. Cool thought. Back on topic!

Where was I? Oh yes, he is told the Church in if Jesus is a lie, YOLO! This is obviously not the case since his next words are "Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame." 

He tells us to "wake from our drunken stupor" and to "stop sinning". Seems pretty serious. But right before that what does he say? "Bad company ruins good morals". Do you think this is a randomly tossed in point? Or maybe Paul(The Gladiator) is pointing out that who we hang out with can play a role in our spiritual life?

I think this is the case. Now I don't want anyone to think I am saying not to hang out with people who aren't Christians. BECAUSE I AM NOT! I hang out with people from school, I  even encourage this they need to see Christians living Christian lives. What I would warn against is have someone who isn't a Christian as a best friend or this type of situation. You should hang out with people who want to see you do great things for God. People who will pray for you. People who will be there to understand what you are living for.

You want the people you spend your time with to be people to bring you higher, people who challenge you to press forward into battle as a Christian. "Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another."

There you have it, both sides to the story. Go swimming with an anvil and you'll sink eventually, Go swimming with a pool noodle and you'll stay afloat.

Nolan Out!